Alumni Highlights

Roaring Fork Leadership took some time to catch up with Katie Preston-Higbee, RFL Mastermind Alum, to learn about what she's up to and how she has taken what she's learned and evolved herself, her purpose, and her career. Here's the Q + A with Katie: Q. Reflecting on your time in the RFL Mastermind program, what was most impactful for you - either personally or professionally? A. Hands down the community connection. Being in a room with talented, values-driven women who genuinely care about meaningful things created a rare kind of support, equal parts encouragement and accountability. I left many sessions [...]

Morgan Kennedy, co-founder of Forward Cadence and a Roaring Fork Leadership Mastermind 2019 alumna, is helping organizations bring clarity, alignment, and intention to their work. Through her experience in Mastermind and her journey into entrepreneurship, Morgan has developed a thoughtful approach to leadership - one rooted in reflection, strategy, and meaningful impact. We recently caught up with Morgan to learn more about her Mastermind experience, the inspiration behind Forward Cadence, and what she’s learned along the way. Looking back on your time in the RFL Mastermind program, what was one insight or experience that has stayed with you the most in [...]

Q & A with Chris Hassig, RFL Academy 2024 Alum A few years ago, local artist and RFL Academy 2024 alum, Chris Hassig debuted a work he had been creating for more than 20 years: the fictional city of Ralesis, capital of Saiopor, rendered in a series of beautifully intricate maps. To create something as original and expansive as Ralesis, it would be easy to assume Chris’s life begins and ends with his art, but Chris’s interests and talents extend far beyond the bounds of his studio. On top of being a volunteer radio DJ at KDNK and a passionate telemark skier [...]

Q & A with Adam Frisch, RFL Academy 2006 Photo by Evan Semón Photography In 2022, Adam Frisch drove over 24,000 miles on his campaign trail for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, one of the largest and most diverse rural districts in the U.S. An RFL Academy alum who’s lived in Aspen for over 30 years, Adam has embraced politics as “elective community service.” Whether it’s addressing affordable housing through serving on the Aspen City Council or becoming a part-time substitute teacher in local public schools during COVID, the leadership skills and civic engagement Adam learned through RFL have been [...]

Q & A with Callie Dickson, RFL Academy 2024 alum Callie Dickson never thought she’d end up learning American Sign Language (ASL) when she enrolled in RFL Academy 2024. The program manager for Challenge Aspen, with a background in therapeutic recreation, Dickson wanted to expand her leadership perspective to better serve the individuals with disabilities that she serves. When the opportunity to learn ASL came up through her civic project group’s sponsor, the Aspen Camp for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Dickson jumped at the opportunity.   We chatted with Dickson recently about what learning ASL taught her and [...]

Q & A with Dana Wood, RFL Academy 2015 Dana Wood was drawn to the valley for the sense of community and opportunities to get involved. Now based in Silt, she works for the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments managing two groups that are focusing on transportation projects in seven rural counties in Colorado. She’s currently on the Silt Planning and Zoning Commission, helping her town navigate the big challenges around growth and housing that so many Colorado communities are facing. Dana also serves on the board of directors for Highwater Farm, a local educational nonprofit regenerative farm. On top of [...]

Q & A with Jennifer Smith, RFL Academy 2008 Alum Jennifer Smith has worked as an immigration lawyer in the Roaring Fork Valley for 17 years. In that time, she’s helped people navigate the U.S.’s often challenging and bewildering immigration system through her Glenwood Springs-based law firm, Smith Immigration, and through numerous free legal aid workshops and clinics she’s hosted throughout the valley. Jennifer credits RFL with helping instill many of the core values she brings to her work — empathy, understanding, and a desire to serve her community.   Roaring Fork Leadership: How did you end up in the Roaring Fork Valley practicing law?  [...]

Q & A with Jonathan Hagman, RFL Academy alum Jonathan during a recent trip to Spain. Carbondale native Jonathan Hagman has built a life and career around making things. When he was in fourth grade, his family moved to Woody Creek near Aspen, into a house designed and built by his architect father. Jonathan has gravitated to pursuits involving creativity and movement ever since — from competing at the international synchronized skiing championships (yes, it’s a real thing!), to traveling the world as a professional white water kayaking instructor, to studying ceramics in college, and then opening an artists’ [...]

Q & A with Kathleen Wanatowicz, RFL Academy & Mastermind Alum When Kathleen Wanatowicz moved to the Roaring Fork Valley over 20 years ago to work for the City of Glenwood Springs, she had no idea where the challenge of being a young leader would take her. In a life full of “twists and turns,” Wanatowicz has appreciated the training and resources that RFL has provided at each stage of her career – from a twenty-something just starting out, to where she is now, owning her own strategic communications and project management firm, Project Resource Studio. A wife and mother of [...]

Q & A with Kelly Brockett, RFL Academy and Mastermind Alum Kelly Brockett didn’t have much of a plan when she moved to the valley in 2008. An Indiana native, Brockett had lived in San Diego previously and after returning home for six months, she visited a friend in Aspen and decided to move shortly thereafter. After a series of odd jobs, she found her footing career-wise with the Snowmass Base Village in 2010 where she’s been ever since. Now a mom of two, Brockett credits RFL with boosting her confidence as a leader and re-igniting her passion for her [...]